Summer

Looking to spice up your gift to dad, or maybe something to complement his hobbies? Try pairing a beer with it to enhance the enjoyment of his favorite activities.

Grilling – So your father’s into cooking in the great outdoors. Give him something hoppy to accompany spicy BBQ and burgers, like Lot 3 IPA from Evolution.

Poolside – Netting debris, testing chlorine balances, finally relaxing with a cool dip after a long day; all of these deserve a refreshing brew. Long Trail’s India Pale Ale goes one better, and gives it to you in a pool-safe can.

Gaming – Does your dad have a designated poker night? Or is he more of a modern gamer, always having to have the latest console? Either way, give him something full-flavored and sessionable to keep his head in the game, such as Session Lager out of Full Sail.

Reading - Your dad’s more bookish, so try giving him something sweet and mellow to accompany a quiet evening with his favorite author. Try Pils Noir from Susquehanna, a beer that’s more of a twist than the end of his latest novel.

Sports – Whether he’s spending the afternoon watching baseball or he’s just finished up a set of tennis, a light and snappy brew fits the bill. We suggest Troegs Sunshine Pils.

Camping/Boating – Tis the season for great outdoor activities, and if you’re father’s looking to take advantage of that, try giving him a well-balanced and flavorful beer to cool off with. Victory’s Summer Love is just right for everything that’s summer.

Taken from Bavarian tradition, Susquehanna Brewing Co. has brewed an unfiltered hefeweizen with the signature hazy golden look. Its crisp tangy-sweet-and-spicy flavor and large foamy head make it a perfect summer beverage and a true follower of the style. Susquehanna gets it just right again with superb ingredients like high-quality wheat and special top-fermenting yeast. Something to wash down your second breakfast with.

Summer Love Ale, a seasonal favorite from Victory, is turning four this year after being commisioned by Visit Philadelphia in 2010 to capture the essence of the City of Brotherly Love. It’s highly anticipated release every year tells of the coming season of poolside parties, camping, baseball and cold goodies. And now, you have the chance to spend our nation’s birthday in the city that inspired this refreshing beverage. Victory is holding the Find Your Summer Love Sweepstakes again, and this time there’s a two-night trip to Philly on the weekend of the Fourth of July up for grabs.

One grand prize winner and a guest will win two nights at Hotel Monaco, round trip airfare if necessary, nightly dinner and more for a prize worth over $1450. 250 runners up will receive a Summer Love and Visit Philadelphia koozie to keep their ales cool as the heat begins to rise.

Lancaster’s kolsch is a stunning representative of the style, and its contents match its sunny packaging. Bright grass, biscuit and citrus aromas hang around this sunshine golden brew, which give way to flavors of lemon, grain and hops. It’s delightfully carbonated and very light, making for a very refreshing beverage. At 4.8% ABV, it’s light enough in both mouthfeel and alcohol to have a couple.

For many years, craft breweries have been selling or donating the spent grain to farmers in their areas for livestock feed, particularly to cattle. This practice is not only helpful to local agriculture, but also reduces the waste produced by the brewing process and creates a sustainable cycle of farmers growing grain for breweries’ uses, and those breweries returning some of those resources to be eaten by livestock. New grain uses manure from the livestock, completing the cycle.

A little over a month ago, the FDA issued a proposal that would more strictly regulate the transaction of spent grain, specifically regarding packaging the by-product. This would require brewers to invest money in expensive equipment and machinery, and spend more time preparing the substance before they would be allowed to sell or donate it to farmers to feed to livestock. Thus, it would be difficult to sell the spent grain as a cheap alternative, considering the overall expenses.

However, the Brewer’s Association, along with U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer D-N.Y and several members of the farming community spoke out against these proposed regulations, citing tradition and the ecology of the practice, which requires little packaging waste as-is and doesn’t take a great deal of money or energy to accomplish.

Less than a week ago, the FDA came out and said that it was never their intention to disrupt this exchange of goods. They’ve agreed to revise their proposed rules to allow for this sort of commerce without additional regulation, both in the beverage industry, and also in other human food industries. They’ll be issuing revised rules this summer to provide more clarity.

So you’ve just gotten out of the pool, padding pruney toes across your deck towards a towel, when you take an unfortunate step and end up with glass in your foot. As we shed our shoes for summertime fun, many find themselves also shedding their loyalty to craft beers in favor of anything that comes in a can. But you don’t need to sacrifice quality for aluminum! We’ve collected a list of delicious craft brews that come in cans, so you can bring them to the beach, BBQ, pool party, picnic or wherever summer may take you without fear.

Finch’s entire line of delicious brews are conveniently offered in cans, so you can choose your favorite from their list of five and run with it–literally.

Kona just released their Longboard Lager in canned form this spring, so it’s time to take advantage of the portability of this beachy lager out on the shore.

Long Trail Ale and Blackbeary Wheat are both light, refreshing choices for any outdoors activity. Just be sure to take your trash with you if you’re on the trails.

For something a little spicy, try Shock Top’s Belgian White. Rather have a summer traditional? Shock Top’s Lemon Shandy is always refreshing and a great addition to all picnics.

We’re taking over all of Media next Thursday night, and we hope you’ll join us at one of the 15 locations to enjoy beverages from brewers such as Magic Hat, Goose Island, Finch’s, Boxcar Brewing Co., Ithaca, Victory and more.

Many of your favorite local bars and restaurants are involved, including Azie, Picasso, Campbell’s Boathouse, Towne House and Joclyn’s Bar. The event will last from 6pm-8pm, with contests and prizes given away throughout.

Quotations 37 E State St (610) 627-2515
Eric from Ithaca is bringing their newest Excelsior beer – 15th Anniversary – be the FIRST to try it in our area!

Rose Tree Inn 1243 N Providence (610) 891-1205
Looking for a little Summer Love? Or Maybe a (Hop) Devil or (Golden) Monkey instead? Join Victory Brewing from Downingtown and win gift cards to visit the Brewery in Downingtown and other great prizes including some hard to find bottles.

Sligo 113 W State St (610) 556-5707
The boys from Long Trail will be here with great beers and great prizes – a winner every 15 minutes.

Stephen’s 105 W State St (610) 891-8900
Starr Hill – enjoy the gift of Great Beer and tonight – the gift of Music! I-Tunes gift cards will be raffled off every 20 minutes while you sip Northern Lights – Grateful Pale Ale and the Love wheat!

Towne House Restaurant 117 Veterans Sq (610) 566-6141
Try the beer that started it all – Anchor Brewing from San Francisco – credited with starting the craft beer movement and tonight, try their California Lager – coming soon but not yet available on the East Coast – you can be the first!

Starr Hill out of Charlottesville, VA introduced their Grateful Pale Ale at the beginning of May, a session pale ale that’s hoppy, but also refreshing enough for this warm weather. It pours a clean golden color with a thick, white head that smells floral and citrusy. Topaz, Chinook, Cascade and Centennial hops give it a citrusy, piney flavor, but it’s well-balanced and not overwhelming. Its taste is of bitter orange and slightly caramel-y as a balancer. With a light body and 4.7% ABV, it’s a good session alternative to a super-hoppy high-alcohol IPA.

Grateful Pale Ale will be available until the first of August, when it will be replaced by Starr Hill’s fall seasonal, Boxcar Pumpkin Porter.

Stella Artois has introduced a new cider in 26 states, with further expansion possible in 2014. The Stella Artois Cidre (pronounced cee-druh) is a crisp, European-style cider, made with apples from wine-growing regions in North and South America and fermented in Baldwinsville, NY. Released on May 13, it’s just in time for warm weather.

The flavor is mostly red apple-y and peachy, with apricot accents and subtle hints of orange. The suggested serving is in a white wine glass with a semi-hard cheese such as manchego.

Ciders are gaining popularity in the U.S., with an 85% increase in sales between 2011 and 2012, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that more breweries are adding ciders to their repertoires.